Overview:
“Read, read, read. Read everything –
trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter
who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then
write. If it’s good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out of the window.”
– William Faulkner
Everyone
writes. But in this course, our intention is to learn to write well, crafting
six to seven major essays, two to five pages in length, as well as two to three
in-class essays. We will begin the term by reading a collection of short
stories and personal essays as we spend each week writing our own personal
essays. At the conclusion of the term, we will dip our toes into the study of
satire, reading Oscar Wilde’s iconic play, The
Importance of Being Ernest. Along the way we will study grammar as well as literary
devices. As we build our writing toolbox, we will experiment with the essay in
all of its various forms: analytical, descriptive, narrative, and more. To each
his/ her own style and, later, voice.
“There is nothing to writing. All you do
is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” –Ernest Hemingway
Materials
- Required Texts:
o Course Packet
o The
Importance of Being Ernest
by Oscar Wilde
- Blog
- Notebook
- Writing Utensils
Course Expectations
Class Preparation:
-
You
are expected to come to class prepared, meaning that you have completed all
assigned readings and coursework. Preparation also means coming to class with
all the necessary materials (i.e. your text, a notebook, and something to write
with). You will be asked to actively read and annotate passages in your books
(I may ask to check them sometimes). Homework assignments will be collected
and/or shared* with the rest of the class. Preparation
will be reflected in your grade.
o *Part of this course will be going
through the process of peer editing. If you are uncomfortable with sharing your
work, please come and speak with me.
Participation:
-
Participation
is an important factor in this class. You can expect to participate through
class discussions as well as by completing assignments in a timely manner. In
that vein, being late to class (and missing your chance to participate!) will
be reflected in your grade.
Papers:
-
All papers must be submitted to me in
hardcopy form at the beginning of class. I will not accept email copies unless
explicitly stated prior to the due date.
-
All
out-of-class assignments should be double spaced with 12-point font.
-
In accordance with the Pomfret English
Department, written work submitted late will be penalized 10% per day, with a maximum penalty (as
long as the work comes in eventually) of 50%.
-
If I
ask for you to bring a draft into class (which I will each week), I will expect
you to write a complete draft (no bullet points!) and to print it out before
class.
-
We
will undergo the process of revision throughout this course but when you hand
your paper in to me, I expect it to be in its final version. I will allow for
rewrites on a case-by-case basis. Please see me with a copy of your paper if
you wish to receive a rewrite.
-
I am
willing to grant one extension per term. Extensions must be requested well in
advance of the due date and you must have a valid reason to request an
extension (i.e. “I just can’t write this paper!” is not a valid reason). I will
not grant you an extension on the day that the paper is due. Extensions can
only be one class period late.
Blogging:
-
Over
the summer, I started my own blog. I found it to be incredibly useful as a
place for me to gather my ideas on all things English-related. My blog will
serve as a reference point for our class, where I will pose questions, offer
advice, and provide useful links to our class. I encourage and expect you to
visit this site often. You can visit my blog at maguireenglish.blogspot.com.
-
In
this vein, each member of our class will create and maintain their own blog
through the site Blogger.com. Do not panic about setting up your blogs; we will
make them as a class our first week.
-
We
will use our blogs like journals where I will pose a question in class and you
will write a blog post in response to that question. I will grade these blogs
on a weekly basis.
-
I will
gather all of your blog sites on my own blog and will encourage you to visit
your classmates’ blogs and comment on their posts.
-
To
learn more about my grading expectations for your blog, visit my blog!
Academic Dishonesty and
Plagiarism:
-
As
stated in the Pomfret Student Handbook, “Academic dishonesty, a major
violation, ‘occurs when one uses or takes credit for the work of another
person, whether the material be directly copied or superficially disguised
(plagiarism).’”
-
Plagiarism
can take many forms, from spark notes to discussing an assignment with a
classmate. I will let you know when you can and can’t work with others, as well
as whether you can use outside sources for an assignment. If you do use an
outside source please remember to follow proper citation rules.
Grading
-
Your
grade in this class will be based off of
o Class participation (10%)
o Your preparedness (10%)
o Vocabulary quizzes (10%)
o Papers and Projects (50%)
o Weekly Blog Entries (20%)
Classroom Norms and
Expectations
-
In
order to develop a classroom that is a safe space for us to share our ideas and
our writing, we will work actively to develop norms that encourage everyone to
be present during our class time. We will discuss these norms during our first
meeting and assess ourselves throughout the semester on how we are doing to
maintain our norms.
o One of the main norms for me will be
absolutely NO cell phones during
class time. Cell phones will be collected in a basket at the beginning of each
class and should be put on silent beforehand.
o Along those lines, I would prefer that
you not use your laptop during class. If you have an utmost need for your
laptop (i.e. it is the only way you can take notes), I will allow it, but there
will be times when I ask for you to put your screens down. Should I catch you
on facebook, instagram, tumblr, youtube or any other fun, distracting websites
during class, I will revoke your computer privilege.
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